Ceramic Cooker Rotisserie

This application is a continuation of allowed application Ser. No. 18/538,819 filed Dec. 13, 2023, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 17/107,922 filed Nov. 30, 2020 (now abandoned), which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/468,988 filed Mar. 24, 2017 (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,925,435 B2), which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 13/833,214 filed Mar. 15, 2013 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,603,484 B2), which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/653,254, filed May 30, 2012, the disclosures of which are each incorporated herein by reference.

This invention relates to rotisserie devices.

Many outdoor cooks prefer to grill juicy or fatty foods using a rotisserie. The slowly-turning spit employed in such devices promotes a self-basting action that may provide more even cooking, may retain liquids in the food that might otherwise drip away, may reduce flare-ups and may provide more moist cooked foods.

Covered gas grills frequently are sold with or may be equipped with a rotisserie device. The device generally includes an electric reduction gear drive motor and a removable spit having a pointed rod fitted with two or more opposing tined, movable forks that secure the food in place during cooking. The motor and spit typically are mounted on short pedestals or other supports arranged so that the food will be centered over the grill cooking surface. The upper half in a covered gas grill (viz., the cover or lid) generally includes slots that fit over the spit when the rotisserie is in use and the grill cover is closed (viz., during cooking).

Covered porcelain steel kettle-style charcoal grills usually are not sold with a rotisserie device but may be equipped with an aftermarket rotisserie adapter. The adapter typically includes a fixed height cylindrical ring that fits atop the kettle base. The grill cover sits atop the ring during cooking and is lifted away to obtain access to the food. The ring typically includes a motor support on which an included electric reduction gear drive motor may be mounted, and slots to support an included removable spit. Like the removable spit used in a gas grill, the spit normally includes two or more opposing tined, movable forks.

Covered ceramic (viz., kamado) charcoal-burning grills have been used for many centuries. A generally egg-shaped, kamado grill made in several sizes from modern-day ceramic materials is available from Big Green Egg, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia, and sold under the Big Green Egg trademark. Reportedly more than 1,000,000 Big Green Egg grills have been sold worldwide since 1975. The manufacturer's literature and video supplied with a Big Green Egg state that a rotisserie is not needed. Despite this admonition, some owners of Big Green Egg grills have devised rotisserie support brackets that they mount on the lower half of an opened grill. A motorized rotisserie spit like those described above is laid across the supports and spans the cooking surface. The grill cover is left open during the cooking process. Other owners have disconnected the hinge and employed a fixed height cylindrical ring like those discussed above for charcoal kettle grills to carry out rotisserie cooking without the cover, or with the disconnected cover placed atop the ring.

Although a wide range of accessories are marketed for Big Green Egg grills, rotisserie devices are not among them. The ceramic insulation used in such grills makes them very efficient cooking devices and may make the cooking process more even. However, the ceramic insulation also makes the grill quite heavy, e.g., with a weight of 140 lbs (63.5 Kg) for an 18 ¼ in (46.4 cm) diameter Large Big Green Egg. The cover normally is supported on a hinge mounted at the rear of the grill, and the cover opens and closes in clamshell style. This makes it impractical to use rotisserie adapter rings like those employed in the charcoal kettle grills discussed above. In larger ceramic grills, the hinge may also include a movable pivot and assist springs to aid in opening and closing the cover. For both large and small grills, considerable time and effort is required to affix and align the hinge to the grill base and cover.

Normally this need only be done when the grill is first assembled.

The present invention provides, in one aspect, a rotisserie device, the device comprising a support ring for use in a partially opened hinged covered grill having a base and cover joined by the hinge, wherein the ring:

In a preferred embodiment, the ring includes a tapered height cover supporting portion with a generally wedge-shaped side profile having a minimum height at a ring portion proximate the hinge and a maximum height at the ring portion distal to the hinge. In a further preferred embodiment, the ring includes a flat metal band and the tapered height cover supporting portion is a resilient heat-resistant gasket bonded to the band. In yet another preferred embodiment, the base and cover have sealing surfaces that contact one another when the grill cover is closed, the support ring comprises a generally cylindrical flanged ring disposed interiorly with respect to the tapered height cover supporting portion, the flanged ring has a ring height greater than that of the tapered height cover supporting portion at corresponding positions around the flanged ring, and the flanged ring strengthens the support ring and at least partially shields from grilling heat one or both of the base and cover sealing surfaces.

The present invention provides, in another aspect, a rotisserie device comprising the disclosed support ring and further comprising an electric reduction gear drive motor affixed to or rotatably fixed with respect to the support ring, a removable spit rotatably driven by the motor, and two or more tined forks that secure food on the spit during cooking.

The present invention provides, in another aspect, a hinged, covered grill having a base and cover joined by the hinge and further comprising the disclosed support ring supporting the cover in a partially opened position.

The disclosed devices enable rotisserie cooking on hinged, covered ceramic grills without requiring that the hinge or grill cover be detached from the grill base. During use, the device permits the cover to be closed sufficiently so as to discourage air leakage into or out of the grill, and provides improved cooking compared to the use of an uncovered grill. The device may be sold together with a new grill or as an aftermarket device for an existing ceramic grill. The disclosed devices may also be used in other hinged covered grills such as metal insulated charcoal-burning grills shaped to resemble covered ceramic grills.

Like reference symbols in the various figures of the drawing indicate like elements. The elements in the drawing are not to scale.

The recitation of a numerical range using endpoints includes all numbers subsumed within that range (e.g., 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, 5, etc.). The terms “a,” “an,” “the,” “at least one,” and “one or more” are used

interchangeably. Thus, for example, a rotisserie spit that includes “a” tined fork means that the spit includes “one or more” tined forks.

The term “aperture” means a hole, slot or other opening.

The term “essentially the same” when used with respect to a numerical measure or quantity means within ±10% and more preferably within ±5% of that measure or quantity.

The term “grill” means a cooking device capable of a variety of cooking tasks including but not limited to grilling, baking, smoking and roasting.

The terms “half” and “halves” when used in reference to a covered grill are approximate, and need not represent a geometric one-half of the total shell surface in a covered grill. An individual half normally will be a lower surrounding shell that holds charcoal or other heat source, or an upper surrounding shell that serves as a cover.

Unless otherwise specified, the term “height” when used in respect to an element of the disclosed support ring refers to the length of a vertical line segment bisecting that element. In some specified contexts the terms “above”, “below” or “height” refer to the orientation of an element with respect to another element.

The term “inhibit airflow” when used in reference to the disclosed rotisserie device support ring means the ring will limit substantially or will prevent airflow into and out of a partially opened grill in which the support ring has been installed. The desired degree of airflow inhibition may vary, and desirably will be such as to permit extinguishment of burning coals in an otherwise closed grill due to combustion air starvation. Lesser degrees of airflow inhibition may be tolerated in some circumstances, for example airflow inhibition sufficient to discourage or prevent runaway temperature increases, or airflow inhibition sufficient to permit the temperature in a burning grill to be maintained at or below 149° C. (300° F.), 121° C. (250° F.) or 107° C. (225° F.) using the adjustable top and bottom dampers normally included with a hinged, covered charcoal-burning grill.

The term “joinder seam” when used in reference to a hinged, covered grill refers to the parting plane or parting line defined by the mating sealing surfaces of the grill base and cover when the cover is fully closed and its cover sealing surface is in full normal contact with the base sealing surface.

The terms “partially opened” and “partially uncovered” when used in reference to a hinged, covered grill, mean that the grill cover has been rotated away from the grill base through a portion of but not through all of its hinged travel arc, so that the cover and base no longer contact one another through the full extent of their normal sealing surfaces. In such a position the cover and base sealing surfaces may however contact the installed rotisserie device. The terms “partially opened” and “partially uncovered” thus may refer to a hinged, covered grill either before or after installation of the disclosed rotisserie device support ring between the grill cover and grill base. These terms will be used whether or not other grill openings (such as the air intake vent normally provided in a grill base, or the combustion product exhaust vent normally provided in a grill cover) are fully or partially open or closed.

The term “ring” when used in reference to the disclosed rotisserie device support ring means a heat-resistant object having a generally open interior portion surrounded by a chock, wall or other grill-contacting portion that when viewed in cross-section from above its normal orientation during use has a continuous or nearly continuous rounded or at least partially rounded cross-sectional shape. Suitable ring shapes include circular shapes like those in the mating halves of a Big Green Egg grill, oval shapes like those in the mating halves of a Primo grill (from Primo Grills and Smokers of Tucker, Ga), flattened teardrop shapes like those in the mating halves of a Komodo Kamado OTB grill from Komodo Kamado of Bali, Indonesia (which, it may be noted, includes as supplied a small hole in the base which receives the motorized drive spindle of an accessory rotisserie device), and other functionally similar shapes.

Turning now to, hinged, covered ceramic grillis generally egg-shaped and includes lower approximate half or base, upper approximate half or cover, and fixed pivot hinge. Hingeis affixed to clamping bandsandwhich respectively surround baseand cover. Baseand coverhave sealing surfaces that contact one another at joinder seamwhen coveris fully closed. Handleattached to bandpermits coverto be raised by rotating coveraway from basein an arc around hinge. As shown, grillalso includes an adjustable top damperand adjustable bottom damper, and rests on supporting feet. As will be understood by those skilled in the ceramic grill art, grillmay be supported in a variety of other devices including wheeled or stationary nests, tripods and supporting tables (not shown in).

illustrates a ceramic grillin which base, cover, bandsand, damperand feetare as in, but in which fixed pivot hingehas been replaced by a movable pivot hinge. Hingeincludes lower arm, upper arm, lever armsandand one or more springs. In a typical such hinge, there may be two each of lower arm, upper arm, lever armsand, and two or four springs, arranged side-by-side and separated by a span of about 4 to 10 inches (10 to 25 cm). When coveris opened, armsandrotate so as to cause both the effective pivot point of hingeand the portion of covernearest hingeto move laterally away from and downwardly with respect to baseas covermoves upward. This lateral and downward movement and the action of spring(s)helps raise and balance coveras it approaches a fully opened position. The same lateral and downward movement introduces additional complexities in the design of the disclosed support ring, as discussed in more detail below in connection withthrough.

In, grillis shown in a partially opened position. Mating sealing surfacesandinclude a felt, fiber or flexible rope gasket typically made of a heat resistant material. Ceramic fire ringis visible inside grill, but other commonly-employed accessories such as a wire cooking grid, ceramic plate setter, cast iron griddle, pizza stone, tiered rack and the like have been omitted for clarity. Adjustable top damperas shown inhas also been removed, leaving exhaust outletvisible.

is a plan view of a rotisserie support ringfor use in a hinged, covered grill like that shown inor.is a side sectional view of thering taken through lines-′ in. Ringincludes a lower mating surfacedesigned to engage with the complementary mating sealing surface of base, and an upper mating surfacedesigned to engage with the complementary mating sealing surface of cover. Viewed in side sectional view as in, ringhas a generally wedge-shaped side profile with a minimum height at the ring portion nearest the grill hinge and a maximum height at the ring portion furthest from or distal to the grill hinge. Ringis appropriately shaped and appropriately dimensioned or configured to inhibit airflow into and out of a partially opened grill in which ringhas been installed, and also serves as a supporting portion or chock that holds the cover and base apart in a desired partially opened position.

For ease of reference in portions of the remaining description, clock numerals will sometimes be used to describe regions around the perimeter of the disclosed support rings when viewed from above as in. Clock positionwill refer to the ring position nearest the hinge in a hinged, covered grill. Clock positionwill refer to the ring position opposite from or distal to the hinge, and normally will correspond to the handle position in a hinged, covered grill. In grills equipped with clamping bands surrounding the base, cover or both base and cover, clamping screws are often located at approximately the 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock positions. The chock portion of ringis shortest (viz., has its least height or vertical thickness) at the 12 o'clock position and is tallest (viz., has its greatest height or vertical thickness) at the 6 o'clock position.

As shown in phantom inand in cross-section in, ringincludes downwardly-projecting lipon the outer periphery of ringto help center and retain ringatop base. If desired, lipcould be located on the inner periphery of ring, and may project upward rather than or in addition to downward so as to engage or also engage cover. In any event, appropriate horizontal clearance (e.g., 1 mm, 5 mm or more) desirably is provided between lipand the respective inner or outer peripheral diameter of baseor coverto allow for any differences in the thermal expansion rates of ringrelative to baseor coverwhen the grill and support ringare heated during grilling. Lipmay be continuous as shown inand, or discontinuous. For example, lipmay be in the form of several (e.g., three or more) small projections, or may be in the form of an arc having one or more cutouts such as a cutout near the grill hinge. Lipmay if desired be replaced by or augmented with a plurality of projecting tangs fastened to the outside or inside of ringto help locate ringatop baseor under cover.

Ringalso includes apertures (in this case, slots),dimensioned or configured to receive a motorized gear reduction motor (not shown inor) and mounting holesfor supporting the gear reduction motor or its mounting bracket (also not shown inor). As shown inand, slotis at the 9 o'clock position and slotis at the 3 o'clock position. Slots,could be located at other ring positions if desired. For example, somewhat better ergonomics for left-handed users will result if slotand the associated gear reduction motor are located at the 1 to 2 o'clock positions of ringand if slotis located at the 7 to 8 o'clock positions. Such a placement may enable a left-handed user to grasp the handle of a rotisserie spit more readily than if the slots are at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. Similarly, somewhat better ergonomics for right-handed users will result if slotand the associated gear reduction motor are located at the 10 to 11 o'clock positions of ringand slotand the associated rotisserie spit handle are located at the 4 to 5 o'clock positions. If desired, multiple slot pairs may be included, optionally together with plugs or suitable inserts for blocking off slots that are not in use. One or both of slots,may also be replaced by a hole or other strengthened aperture, thereby improving the strength or durability of ringbut potentially making it somewhat more difficult to insert or remove a rotisserie spit or a spindle for driving such a spit. If desired, only a single aperture need be employed, for use with rotisserie spits whose free end (viz., the end not coupled to a drive motor) will lie inside the grill during use. Ringmay if desired be equipped with one or more handles (not shown inand) to assist in lifting ringonto or off of base. Ringmay also include logos, warning legends, outer or inner coloration (e.g., to match the green color of a Big Green Egg grill or the black color of its metal bands) or dimpling or other surface modification (e.g., to match the dimpled outer ceramic surface of a Big Green Egg grill).

Ringmay be made from a variety of heat-resistant materials including metals such as aluminum, steel or cast iron; heat-resistant ceramics; molded heat-resistant fibrous insulation materials; molded heat-resistant flexible materials such as silicone rubbers; Portland cement; concrete; and combinations of the foregoing. Exemplary steels include cold-rolled steel and stainless steel. Exemplary silicone rubbers include addition-cure, peroxide-cure and room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicones. Exemplary ceramics include alumina, boron nitride, cordierite, mullite, silicon carbide, spinel, steatite, titanium carbide, Wollastonite, zirconia (including partially stabilized zirconia), glass-ceramics, porcelain, earthenware, reinforced ceramic composites and mixtures or combinations thereof. Foamed and other insulating ceramics may also be employed. The ceramic from which the Big Green Egg plate setter is made appears to be an especially suitable ceramic material. Exemplary ceramic material suppliers or ceramic part manufacturers include Accuratus Corp., Applied Ceramics, Inc., Associated Ceramics and Technology, Inc., Bailey Ceramic Supply, BASF, Continental Clay, CoorsTek, Inc., McDaniel Advanced Ceramic Technologies, National Ceramic Co., Saint-Gobain Advanced Ceramics, Wunder Mold and other suppliers or manufacturers that will be familiar to persons having ordinary skill in the ceramic cooker art.

If made partly or entirely from metal, ringmay be formed in a variety of ways including milling; cutting appropriately-tapered rings from cylindrical stock; casting; sintering; cutting or otherwise machining flat stock; or by rolling strips or other flat stock to form a ring perform and then welding, riveting or otherwise joining the preform ends to form a continuous ring. If made from a relatively brittle material such as a ceramic, then ringdesirably will be formed using molding, sintering or casting and firing operations, and with adjustment of the ring dimensions as needed so as to avoid undue fragility at the 12 o'clock ring position or at the ring positions near slots,. In such instance a greater partial cover opening may be desirable during use so as to provide sufficient thickness proximate the grill hinge. The ring may also or instead be strengthened using an inner or outer flanged ring, for example an inner flanged ring as shown inthrough.

is a perspective view showing an embodimentof the disclosed rotisserie ring installed between base(shown in phantom) and partially opened cover(shown in phantom). Ringhas a minimum height at the 12 o'clock position nearest hinge(shown in phantom) and a maximum height at the 6 o'clock position distal to hingeand proximate to handle(shown in phantom). Rotisserie spitrides in slotsand carries food-engaging tined forks. Spitis rotatably driven by electric motor. Handleassists in installation and removal of spitin and from ring. Motormay be affixed to or rotatably fixed with respect to ringusing a variety of mounting devices (not shown in), including employing projecting tabs that slip between one or both of the lower or upper mating ring surfaces and the corresponding base or cover mating sealing surfaces, a mounting base secured to bandusing fasteners or a magnetic clamp, or a mounting bracket permanently or removably affixed to ring. Motormay be permanently or removably fixed to such a mounting device. Rotisserie gear reduction drive motors like those shown intypically have a generally vertical orientation with a center of mass which in use lies below the central axis of spit. For mounting devices affixed to ringor band, it may be desirable to rotate motorso that its housing has a generally horizontal orientation. This will permit the housing to be rotationally affixed to ringor bandat a greater lever arm distance from spit, thereby providing the motor mount with improved resistance to torque or shock loads caused by large or poorly-balanced rotating foods (e.g., turkeys). Basemay also be mounted in a table or nest configuration having a table top or other potentially interfering structure close to the joinder seam. In such cases motormay need to be rotated or otherwise realigned or redesigned so that adequate clearance is maintained between the drive motor and table top or other structure. For example, the drive motor center of mass may need to be raised so that it lies at or above the central axis of spit. If the motor housing is rotated, normally downwardly-facing vents in the drive motor may need to be redesigned or relocated so that rain will not enter the drive motor in its new orientation.

The dimensions and overall shape of the disclosed support ring may be adapted as need be to accommodate various grill models and sizes. For example, Big Green Egg models are available with nominal wire cooking grid diameters of 24 cm (9.5 inches) for the Mini grill, 33 cm (13 inches) for the Small grill, 38 cm (15 inches) for the Medium grill, 46 cm (18.25 inches) for the Large grill and 61 cm (24 inches) for the Extra Large grill, and with a grill wall thickness at the mating sealing surfaces of about 25 cm (1 inch) in the case of a Large grill and with similar, lesser or greater grill wall thicknesses for other size grills. The support ring inside diameter, outside diameter and horizontal thickness (e.g., mating surface width, or overall thickness including the mating surface and other supporting structure) accordingly may vary. For rings used on a Big Green Egg grill, the ring inside diameter may for example be about 20 cm (8 inches) to about 60 cm (24 inches), the ring outside diameter may for example be about 28 cm (11 inches) to about 69 cm (27 inches) and the ring thickness may for example be about 10 mm (0.4 inches) to about 5 cm (2 inches). For use on a Large Big Green Egg, ringas shown inmay for example have a height between mating surfacesandof about 5 to about 20 mm (0.2 to 0.8 inches) at the 12 o'clock ring position and about 20 to about 127 mm (0.8 to 5 inches) at the 6 o'clock ring position. The extent to which the grill cover is partially opened in use may for example range from about 3 to about 25, about 4 to about 15 or about 4 to about 10 degrees of upward cover rotation with respect to the joinder seam. The same angle ranges may be used to describe the taper between the upper (grill cover) and lower (grill base) mating surfaces in the disclosed support ring. The above dimensions and angles may be varied as needed for other ring materials, other grill models, other grill sizes, and to accommodate lesser or greater extents of partial cover opening during support ring installation and use. The support ring inside diameter may also be sized to permit or not permit wire cooking grid installation into and removal from the grill while the disclosed support ring is installed. Exemplary other grills that can be used with the disclosed rotisserie device include those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,440 (Sazegar) and U.S. Pat. No.3,809,058 (Becker), in U.S. Published Patent Application Nos. US 2009/0308373 A1 (Scott et al.), US 2010/0095946A1 (Creel), US 2010/0258105 A1 (Simms, II) and US 2010/0258106 A1 (Simms, II), and hinged covered grills from suppliers including Bayou Classic, Big Steel Keg, California Kamado, Char-Broil, Char-Griller, GourmetPot, Grill Dome, Imperial Kamado, Kamado Joe, Komodo Kamado, Meteor, Monolith Grill GmbH, Primo Grills and Smokers, and Saffire. The disclosed rotisserie device may also be used in place of devices such as the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,212 (Thompson).

The gasketsandshown inare generally quite heat-resistant, but may melt or otherwise deform if exposed to excessive temperatures. Excessive gasket temperatures may for example arise during overly-vigorous initial startup, when baking pizzas, during flare-ups, or when “burping” the grill (viz., cracking open the cover under air-starved cooking conditions to cause a controlled flare-up). Most rotisserie cooking takes place at relatively low grill temperatures, for example about 93 to 204° C. (200 to 400° F.), and most ceramic grill cooking takes place at temperatures below the 400° C. (750° F.) maximum temperature measured by the thermometer included with a Big Green Egg grill. The gaskets used in a Big Green Egg reportedly will withstand temperatures as high as 593° C. (1100° F.). Although the rotisserie ring design shown incan readily be used at relatively low to normal cooking temperatures, excessive temperatures might under some circumstances cause gasketsorto melt or become adhered to ring. This may be more likely to occur when ringis made from a highly thermally-conductive metal such as aluminum. Consequently, other support ring designs may be employed to reduce the likelihood that gasket melting might occur.illustrate a number of embodiments that may be used to provide a more heat-resistant support ring structure. The embodiments inare each shown as a sectional view taken at the 8 o'clock ring position, the embodiment inthroughis shown in a variety of views, and the embodiment inis shown as a side view.

shows a support ringhaving a central portionmade for example of metal or ceramic and including auxiliary lower and upper high temperature-resistant gaskets,. Gaskets,help reduce heat transfer from portionto the mating sealing (and typically gasketed) surfaces of baseor cover. A variety of high temperature-resistant gasketing materials may be employed, including NOMEX™ or KEVLAR™ aramid fibers, both from E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company; ULTRA TEMP™ alumina tape or cloth from Cotronics Corporation; molded, paper or textile high temperature products from Ibiden Co., Ltd.; GRAPHO-GLAS™ gasketing from Rutland Fire Clay Company; silicone rubber gaskets from a variety of suppliers; and other heat-resistant materials that will be familiar to persons having ordinary skill in the ceramic cooker art.

shows a support ringhaving a central portionmade for example of ceramic, having high temperature-resistant sealing gaskets,and surrounded by an outer metal band. Bandhelps reinforce central portion, and if dimensioned or configured so that it rests between rather than outside baseand coverduring cooking (or if dimensioned or configured so that it contacts bandsandduring cooking) may reduce compression forces on central portion. Gaskets,may help reduce heat transfer to the mating sealing surfaces of baseor cover.

shows a support ringhaving an outwardly-facing generally C-shaped central portionmade for example of metal, and including high temperature-resistant lower and upper sealing gaskets,. The reduced mass and increased outer air exposure of central portionmay help reduce heat transfer to the mating sealing surfaces of baseor cover.

shows a support ringhaving an inwardly-facing central portionmade for example of metal, including high temperature-resistant lower and upper sealing gaskets,and having an inner high temperature-resistant filler portion. Filler portion(which may for example be made of a gasketing material or of ceramic) may help reduce heat transfer to central portionand to the mating sealing surfaces of baseor cover.

shows a support ringhaving a tee-shaped inwardly-facing central portionmade for example of metal or ceramic and including high temperature-resistant lower and upper sealing gaskets,. Gaskets,may help reduce heat transfer into central portionand to the mating sealing surfaces of baseor cover.

shows a support ringhaving an outer surrounding ringmade for example of metal and an inner high temperature-resistant ring portion. Ring portionmay help reduce heat transfer into ringand to the mating sealing surfaces of baseor cover.

shows a support ringhaving an outer surrounding ringmade for example of metal, an inner shielding ringmade for example of metal, and a sandwiched central portionmade for example from high temperature-resistant gasketing material. Shielding ringhelps protect central portionfrom grilling heat, and both portionsandmay help reduce heat transfer to the mating sealing surfaces of baseor cover.

shows a support ringhaving an outer surrounding ringmade for example of metal, an inner shielding ringmade for example of metal, and a molded central portionmade for example from high temperature-resistant gasketing material. Shielding ringhelps protect central portionand both portionsandmay help reduce heat transfer to the mating sealing surfaces of baseor cover.

shows a support ringhaving an I-beam-shaped machined, molded or cast central portionmade for example of metal, an outer insulating ringand inner insulating ringboth made for example from high temperature-resistant gasketing material, and high temperature-resistant lower and upper sealing gaskets,. Inner insulating ringand gaskets,may help reduce heat transfer to the mating sealing surfaces of baseor cover.

is a perspective view of a flanged rotisserie device support ringespecially suited for use with moving pivot hinged, covered grills like that shown in. Ringmay if desired also be used with fixed pivot hinged, covered grills like that shown in. Ringmay be made for example from ceramic, and includes a generally cylindrical flanged ringdisposed interiorly with respect to tapered height, generally wedge-shaped cover supporting portion or chock. Chockhas its greatest height at the 6 o'clock ring position near handle(shown in phantom). Chockpreferably wraps only partially around flanged ring, and terminates before reaching hinge(shown in phantom). Flanged ringalso includes rotisserie spit slots,. As shown in, flanged ringhas a constant height and includes base flangewhich extends below joinder seamand base mating surface. Flanged ringalso includes cover flangewhich extends above cover mating surfacefor most or all of its extent around chock.

is a cross-sectional view showing support ringinstalled between grill baseand partially opened grill coverat the 6 o'clock ring position. Chockholds baseand coverapart. Base mating surfaceis in sealing engagement with base gasket, and cover mating surfaceis in sealing engagement with cover gasket. As shown inand, at the 6 o'clock position of ringcover flangeis at the same height with respect to the joinder seam as cover mating surface. Cover flangemay however have a greater height, lesser height or varying height with respect to the joinder seam, and may for example if desired project above or may lie slightly below cover mating surfaceat the 6 o'clock ring position. Flanged ringhas a ring height (viz., the vertical distance from the bottom of base flangeto the top of cover flange) greater than that of chockat corresponding positions around flanged ring. Flanged ringdesirably is several times (e.g., 4 to 20 times) as tall as it is thick, as increased height contributes greatly to the overall beam strength of flanged ringand support ring.

is a cross-sectional view through support ringat the 8 o'clock ring position. Chockhas a lesser vertical thickness than at the ring position shown in., and cover flangeprojects above cover mating surface. Base mating surfaceis in sealing engagement with base gasket, and cover mating surfaceis in sealing engagement with cover gasket.

is a cross-sectional view through support ringat the 9 o'clock ring position, and bisects rotisserie spit slot, rotisserie spitand motor. The interior components of motorhave been omitted for clarity. Chock(not designated in) is at least partially and preferably completely interrupted by rotisserie spit slot. Mounting tabattached to motorextends at least part way into the sealing region between base mating surfaceand base gasket. Mounting tabattached to motorextends at least part way into the sealing region between cover mating surfaceand cover gasket. Mounting tabs,rotatably fix motorwith respect to support ring.